Miss Toni Fisher

Fisher is best remembered for her 1959 song "The Big Hurt", written by manager Wayne Shanklin. The song went to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US. The track also peaked at #30 in the UK Singles Chart. "The Big Hurt" is notable because it featured phasing effects; indeed, it is claimed to be the first record to have them. DJ Dick Biondi on WKBW would introduce the record as "Toni Fisher's weird one." The song was recorded in the Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles and engineered by Stan Ross and Dave Gold.

Disc jockey Wink Martindale commented that the record label billed the singer as "Miss Toni Fisher" because of her powerful voice, which is consistently audible over the phasing, the instruments, and the background noise, to confirm to the listener that the singer is indeed a woman.

In 1962 she had another Top 40 hit single with "West of the Wall" (#37), a song about the sadness of lovers separated by the 1961 erection of the Berlin Wall. She had recorded the melody before; an earlier version, "Toot Toot Amorie" on Signet Records had different lyrics.

Fisher died of a heart attack in Los Angeles on 12 February 1999. A different source indicates her death was rather in Hyrum, Utah.

Toni Fisher (born 1931 - February 12, 1999, in Los Angeles, California) was an American pop singer.
Fisher is best remembered for her 1959 song, "The Big Hurt" written by her husband Wayne Shanklin. The song went to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 music chart in the U.S. "The Big Hurt" is notable because it featured phasing effects; indeed, it is claimed to be the first song to do so. DJ Dick Biondi on WKBW would introduce the record as "Toni Fisher's weird one."
According to an unconfirmed source the recording session was conducted in an airplane hangar, which is suggested by the sounds of aircraft in the background. Actually the song was recorded in the famous Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles and engineered by Stan Ross and Dave Gold.
Disc jockey, Wink Martindale, commented that the record label bills the singer as "Miss Toni Fisher" because of her powerful voice, which is consistently audible over the phasing, the instruments, and the background noise; to confirm to the listener that this is indeed a woman singing.
In 1962 she had another Top 40 hit with "West Of The Wall" (#37), a song about the sadness of lovers separated by the 1961 erection of the Berlin Wall.
"The Big Hurt" was later covered by Del Shannon, Susan Rafey, Susan Farrar, Scott Walker, Nick Cave, BearEssence, and Nessie & Her Beard.
She died of a heart attack on February 12th, 1999

50s, 60s Hits

The Big Hurt

Album:

The Big Hurt
(1959)

Song Details:

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Lyrics:

Now it begins, now that you've gone
Needles and pins, twilight till dawn
Watching that clock till you return
Lighting that torch and watching it burn

Now it begins, day after day
This is my night, ticking away
Waiting to hear footsteps that say
"Love will appear and this time to stay"

Oh, each time you go
I try to pretend
It's over at last
This time the big hurt will end

Now it begins, now that you've gone
Needles and pins, twilight till dawn
But if you go, come back again
I wonder when, oh when will it end?
The big hurt